Ofcom Community Radio Fund

The Community Radio Fund, managed by Ofcom with funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, offers two funding rounds each year. The funding is open to radio stations that are not-for-profit, run by local people for local people about local issues.

Each funding round will make approximately £200,000 available in grants. There is no set level of funding. Grants will be made as a single lump sum and are to cover a one-year period only.

The funding is intended for community radio licensees broadcasting under a community radio licence in the UK to cover costs including:

Fundraising to support the station

Management

Administration

Financial management and reporting

Community outreach

Volunteer organisation and support

Priority will be given to licensees that have not been awarded a grant in previous funding rounds and to newly-licensed stations.

The Awarding Panel considers promoting long-term sustainability a critical, core activity and thus priority will be given to applications that focus on posts that promote long-term financial security and may become self-sustaining.